• Aree Jainkittivong
• Chonticha Pipitpattanakorn
• Nisa Chittivattanapong
• Hataichanok Charoenpong

Objective  The purpose of this study was to determine the salivary flow rates and salivary pH after stimulated by gum chewing.

Materials and methods  The study included 16 healthy volunteer subjects; and five types of chewing gum sold in Thai market: Chiclet salacider, Dentyne blueberry, Dentyne mentoliptus, Lotte coolmint, and Lotte blueberry were tested. The unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow rates and pH were measured at each chewing.

Results  Salivary flow rates increased significantly after stimulated by all types of gum (p<0.001). The increase rates were 5 to 7 times; of these Dentyne blueberry showed the highest stimulation, followed by Chiclet salacider. The pH of stimulated saliva was significantly lower than the pH of unstimulated saliva in all types of gum (p<0.001). The stimulated salivary pH changes were highest in Dentyne blueberry (21.1%), followed by Chiclet salacider (18.3%). The pH changes in these two gums were also significantly higher than the other three gums (p<0.001).

Conclusions  The present study shows that gum chewing is beneficial for salivary stimulation. But all gums tested in this study decreased salivary pH; thus sugar-containing gum should not be recommended for salivary stimulation in patients who have dry mouth.

(CU Dent J 2002;25:103-11)